Heartland Community College's president said the college is unlikely to apply to a state program that would allow community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees.
Gov. JB Pritzker announced a proposal for the program for in-demand career paths during his State of the State address last week.
“Like nursing, advanced manufacturing, early childhood education, and beyond. With lower tuition rates and a greater presence across the state — especially in rural areas — community colleges provide the flexibility and affordability students need," Pritzker said. "This is a consumer driven, student-centered proposal that will help fill the needs of regional employers in high-need sectors and create a pathway to stable, quality jobs for more Illinoisans.”
Heartland President Keith Cornille said he would need to communicate with other colleges and universities in Bloomington-Normal before he would consider it.
“In some cases, it may be necessary for us to offer something right now," Cornille said. "Heartland feels as though those partnerships that we have are such that we don't necessarily need to advance on those things at this time. There may be a time in the future where it would make sense, but currently, as things stand, we're going to leverage those partnerships we have with the universities.”
To be eligible, a college must prove it would provide education in needed industries and reach students who would be underserved if the four-year program was not provided.
Cornille said the college’s focus on a workplace training curriculum over the years would help it be eligible for the program if it did apply in the future.
“We can demonstrate that we know how to do this work, that we do it well, that we're putting people out into the workforce that are productive,” Cornille said.
As part of the program, community colleges would not be allowed to raise tuition more than 150% for the third and fourth years of the program.
Cornille said the college is more worried about filling gaps in needed industries and programs.
“We meet with the hospitals and with Westminster and others to say, what are the needs and how can we close down any gaps that may exist?" Cornille said. "And then we start building programs or apprenticeships, even from that standpoint. And we would follow those same models that we use for our associate's degree for a bachelor's, if that was necessary. But again, we would have to demonstrate that it's necessary, and I think that the law calls that out.”
State Rep. Sharon Chung of Bloomington said it would benefit students across the state but said she would need to review it.
“We're really lucky in Bloomington-Normal, that we've got Heartland Community College, and we've got Illinois State,” Chung said. “So, this is one of those things I'm going to have to look at the legislation like how it's written, hopefully that it won't take too much away, take anything significant away from Illinois State, and that Heartland will be able to help fill in some of those needs.”
Community colleges accepted into the program will need to complete an annual report of the program’s development.
